Police dept. names domestic violence officer

The Mt. Pleasant Police Department has a new resource to help address the city's domestic violence issues — a problem state crime data indicates is rising in the small town.

The Mt. Pleasant Police Department has a new resource to help address the city’s domestic violence issues — a problem state crime data indicates is rising in the small town.

Aimee’ Deane was recently named the Mt. Pleasant Domestic Violence Liaison. She has worked at the MPPD since 2009. She is currently the only female officer at MPPD.

Her domestic violence liaison duties — which she performs in addition to her regular police workload — entail being available 24 hours a day.

“It is something that I take very seriously, as well as the department,” Deane said.

As the liaison officer, Deane works with victims from filing the initial police report to making court appearances. She tracks all domestic violence cases as they move through the system. Deane creates case files and keeps them handy for reference in instances of repeat offenders.

She also helps victims find safe places to stay and provides officer training.

Domestic violence happens in large cities just as it does in smaller towns, Deane said. In February, Columbia was found to have the highest domestic violence per capita in the state, according to Tennessee Bureau of Investigation data.

“Mt. Pleasant may be very small, but my case load is very big,” Deane said.

Mt. Pleasant, a town about one-sixth the population of Columbia, is showing increases in domestic violence reports. In 2010, the MPPD tallied about 95 reported domestic violence cases. The occurrences jumped to about 140 in 2012, and about 60 cases were reported to date.

In 2011, Columbia experienced about 985 domestic violence related crimes. The city showed about 868 reports in 2012, according to TBI data.

Deane said her hope is to create offender accountability and find ways to get them treatment — including taking domestic violence classes.

“I need for them to get help,” she said. “I want to make sure they are prosecuted … and it doesn’t get swept under the rug or fall to the wayside.”

MPPD is part of the Maury County Domestic Violence Task Force, a multi-jursidictional and multi-agency organization designed to address domestic violence issues. Part of dealing with the issue is networking with other groups to find solutions, Deane said.

Tommy Goetz, Mt. Pleasant police chief, said the department has a “zero tolerance” policy for domestic violence. The person deemed the primary aggressor in each case is arrested and charged.

Goetz said the liaison position was created because victims often do not receive support from their family or the community. The position shows MPPD is there for victims, he said.

“It is a position that is needed and that we support,” Goetz added.

Having a female officer allows victims to choose who they feel most comfortable talking with — but Deane said her gender may or may not provide an advantage.

Dean said she hopes citizens are not afraid to call police — especially when domestic violence is involved.